Burmese Tea Shop Meal

Tea shops in Myanmar aren't just for sipping tiny cups of sweet, milky tea. They also serve as a crash course in Myanmar's various cuisines, with dishes reflecting the ethnicity of the shop's proprietor.

Traditional Burmese noodle or rice dishes, such as htamin thoke, a type of rice salad, can be found in tea shops run by ethnic Burmese.

South Asian-influenced deep-fried savory snacks, such as samosas or poori (deep-fried bread served with a potato curry), or baked breads, such as nanbya, are common in Indian/Muslim-owned tea shops (naan). Desserts in the style of South Asia are frequently served at the latter.

Baked sweets, meaty steamed buns, and dim sum-like items are common in Chinese-owned tea shops.